They really used the GG-1 until it was too old to be used anymore because there was never really a better electric locomotive than the GG-1 at that time
I've always had an obsession with what we call 'wirescrapers' in the UK. Spent several years driving the wonderful British Rail Class 86, you had to work them hard, and know what they were up to. 86s actually outlasted GG1s in longevity, and several are still at work in Eastern Europe as well as two or three here. I've always been mesmerised by the G, even though I've never seen one but what an absolutely fantastic machine. I have a British layout but my model G gets a run from time to time...
If they’re so great, why did they stop using them? Maintenance costs? You’d think a diesel would take more maintenance than an electric. Or at least update them for modern use.
I love that 'Star Wars' intro with locomotive that`s more Flash Gordon! I used to hang out at Newark Penn station just to watch them in the early 70`s in their Penn Central 'interlocking worms' logo. Awesome, you felt them coming before you saw the headlight.
A thought: If a G were to haul the Chattanooga Choo-Choo NYP-WAS, as would have been likely in the 1940s, would you have time to finish your magazine by the time you hit Baltimore?
Idk why people didn’t talk about those things that I just noticed, so let me just put the timestamps so you know what I’m talking about Amtrak AEM-7 pass by on the left side of the NJT GG1 locomotive 3:34 NJT Arrow III MU locomotive pass by on the right side of the NJT GG1 locomotive 4:26 Newark Penn Station in 1983 8:18 The Passaic River of Newark, and the Dock Bridge’s original color paint scheme in 1983 9:15
I remember driving to my parents boat many times in the early 80s along route 495 just north of Wilmington Delaware. GG1's were parked on the tracks next to the Delaware River. Must have been 50 or 60 units. All being scrapped .... So sad to see them go.
I cab rode in Conrail 4800, the Bicentennial GG1. She is my spirit locomotive, and is in many photos hanging up in my house. Nothing can replace a GG1. I have Pennsylvania Railroad heritage in my family, my family served the PRR, PC, and Conrail. So I am proud to have GG1 blood running through my vanes! PENNSY PROUD!!!
"Old Rivets" was retired in October 1979 after 45 years' service, victim of a burned-out main transformer only a month before CR retired the last of its Gs.
1:24 very rare footage of 3985 running on coal. She ran on coal after her restoration for a few years before she was officially switched to Bunker No.5 Fuel Oil.
A all time classic train. I’m 65 years old now but as a small child when the GG1’s roared thru New Brunswick it was something I’ve never forgot to this day. Never be another like her and I don’t think it has
Great video of an all time classic electric locomotive - though there's no chance any have gone ''further than the sun''! The sun is 144 million KM away, very few main line electric locos have ever passed 10 million kilometers even over 5 decades of service. To get to 144 mil they would need to rack up 55,400 km per week with no breaks over 50 years! Anyway, RIP GG1.
I had the same reaction until I realized that the claim made in the film was that the *class* (139 engines) had gone farther than the sun, not that a single engine had. (You're quite right to say that claiming that distance for a single engine would be nuts.) For 139 engines to run a total of 93 million miles over an average lifespan of 40 years comes out to a little under 325 miles/week. A single round trip between New York and Washington is 450 miles. I think it's pretty safe to suppose that most of these engines averaged more than 450 miles/week when in service (which would then allow some time off for maintenance, failures, the time it took to rebuild #4876 after it fell into the baggage room in Washington Union Station, and so on).
I’ve been been a rail fan all my life. The GG1 is my all time favorite locomotive. My favorite train trip was behind a G in a congressional special train to the World’s Fair in 1964 that ran nonstop from Washington to New York. The saddest train trip was the funeral train for Robert F Kennedy.These engines were good at everything they ever attempted.
I remember as a teen, standing at North Philadelphia Train Station as a GG-1 pulled RFK's Funeral Train thru Philly. They were at that time Penn Central trains #4901 and #4903, painted black... how ironic. Tragically, 2 people were killed that day as a GG-1 traveling in the opposite direction hit them.
The GG1 design was so successful it makes one ponder why the design was not perpetuated. It wasn't a flawed design that removed them from the rails but fatigue and old age.
Not just the GG1. Electric locomotives tend to last longer because of far less maintenance and moving parts compared to diesels. But catenary and substation upkeep is prohibitively expensive.
Very nice and a lot of character. Also nice to have one as a model from Broadway Limited made of metal and hence quite heavy. And it sounds nice too although I don't know if that is the sound of the real GG1 because I have never seen or heard one. Many electric locomotives today have as much character as a washing machine and I certainly won't buy a model of them. ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-eHfNf4YbgVA.html
